The Key Players In Libya's "Potential" Civil War

[ThunderBlade + 231]

Excellent scanning of Libya's geopolitical-criminal-military scene... After this analysis it’s pretty clear why Libya is where it is: nowhere.

HIFTER’S ARMY
The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive to retake Tripoli on April 5. Hifter’s opponents view him as an aspiring dictator, and one of his commanders is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accused of dozens of extrajudicial killings. Hifter, who served as a military officer under Gadhafi before defecting in the 1980s, has presented himself as a strong leader who can unify the country. TRIPOLI MILITIAS
The U.N. and Western nations support a transitional government set up in Tripoli in 2016 and led by Fayez Sarraj, a technocrat with no military experience. His government was forced to court powerful militias for its own protection, and these groups have vowed to repel Hifter’s forces. Wolfram Lacher, a Libya expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, says the main Tripoli militias dominate Serraj’s government and have infiltrated its institutions to pillage state resources. In a report published last year, he described them as “criminal networks straddling business, politics and administration.”MISRATA AND ZAWIYA
The western towns of Misrata and Zawiya saw some of the heaviest fighting during the 2011 uprising and boast powerful local militias allied with the U.N.-backed government. The Misrata militias secured U.S. military support for their campaign against the Islamic State group in 2016, eventually driving the extremists from their main stronghold in the central city of Sirte. The Misratans also have a large number of tanks they captured from Gadhafi’s forces in 2011.

LIBYA DAWN
A loose alliance of militias, including some affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood group, seized Tripoli in 2014 after their rivals won disputed parliamentary elections. The new parliament relocated to eastern Libya and later allied itself with Hifter, resulting in competing governments.

MIGRANT PATROLS
After 2011, Libya emerged as a major conduit for refugees and migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa for a better life in Europe. Thousands of migrants have perished while trying to cross the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats while others have been detained and abused by smugglers and armed groups.

https://apnews.com/76313fb7c3654a1a9270bbd7b4bd96f2

 

[pinto + 293]

So much for Arab spring. Looks like Arab winter!

[Pavel + 384]

Assassination of Muammar Gaddafi was nothing more than throwing Libya into total chaos.

[damirUSBiH + 327]

France especially calculated that they would prefer a military man with a so called army than a civilian leader at the mercy of militias. Here is result. That calculation emboldened Hiftar to attack Tripoli and spark the civil war.

[francoba + 93]

I think that diplomats are engaged in real politics behind the scenes. It's hard to believe some countries were surprised when they played a role to undermine the U.N led process in order to boost up Hiftar....

[50 shades of black + 254]

Army led by General Khalifa Hiftar is supported by UAE, Egypt and France. In Libya they have a well-documented record of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, summary executions of captured fighters, and arbitrary detention, but no official or judicial reaction...

[pinto + 293]

Lack of military strategy? As every medal, and this one has two faces ...

[ronwagn + 6,290]

14 hours ago, Pavel said:

Assassination of Muammar Gaddafi was nothing more than throwing Libya into total chaos.

Thank Hillary for that fiasco. 

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

17 hours ago, Pavel said:

Assassination of Muammar Gaddafi was nothing more than throwing Libya into total chaos.

 

3 hours ago, ronwagn said:

Thank Hillary for that fiasco.